Olney On Bonds And The Mets

ESPN’s Buster Olney makes a pretty strong case for the Mets signing Barry Bonds. Bonds is a lot like Moises Alou, only a better hitter with more baggage. Jeff Sackmann only saw six teams as possible fits for Bonds; the Alou injury might make the Mets the seventh (although Alou missing a month of the regular season was a given). The Mets could get a ton of value from left field if they somehow kept these two from being injured simultaneously.

Olney argues that Bonds is the one available impact bat who can be acquired for only money. And the Mets haven’t been terribly concerned with a few steroid-linked players coming through town. I agree with everything he’s saying, and I think New York fans wouldn’t mind so much if Bonds helped them win a World Series. However, Omar Minaya mostly dismissed the idea of signing Bonds or Sammy Sosa.

A more likely option is Marcus Thames, though Jon Paul Morosi believes Jim Leyland’s fondness for him might preclude a trade.